Monday September 20, 2010
Undercover team ‘catches’ 3,560 offenders on camera
PUTRAJAYA: Undercover Road Transport Department (JPJ) officers have nabbed 3,560 motorists for committing various traffic offences along the country’s 202 “death stretches” during Ops Sikap. Its director-general Datuk Solah Mat Hassan said among the offences were beating the red light, cutting queue, using emergency lanes and road shoulders, overtaking at double line and using handphones while driving.
Solah said his officers had gone undercover by travelling or stationing themselves at these “death stretches” in civilian clothing, equipped only with their cameras. He said notices would now be issued to these motorists, calling them for an interview, during which the department would state its case and hear what the drivers had to say. Solah said this was necessary as the vehicle owners might not be the person committing the offences.
“The public have also been supportive by sending us photographs of motorists committing road offences. We will use these to book the errant motorists,” he said, adding that these offences were recorded between Sept 4 and Friday. Solah said the department also inspected 27,738 vehicles during this period. “Our officers checked 6,281 buses at terminals nationwide and issued 216 summonses against bus companies.
Five drivers were also stopped from driving when their urine tests came back positive for drugs,” he said. He said 17 lorries and trailers were also booked for travelling during the ban on heavy vehicles on Sept 8 and 9. He said motorcyclists were also not spared, adding that the department issued 519 summonses, mostly for not wearing helmets or having valid licences.
